Windmill



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J. W. VANMETER.

WINDMILL. No. 371,718. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

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(No Model.)

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J. W. VANMETER.

WINDMILL.

Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. W. VANME TER.

WINDMILL. No. 371,718. Patented Oct. 18 1887.

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JAMES WRIGHT VANMETER, OF OAKVILLE, TEXAS.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,718, dated @ccoloer 18, 1887.

Application filed May 2, 1887. Serial No. 236,857. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES WRIGHT VAN- METER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakville, in the county of Live Oak and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in \Vindmills, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in windmills; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a windmill embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line :10 w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line y g ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the wind-wheel. Fig. 6 is a detached enlarged View of the actuating means for the blades of the wheel. Fig. 7 is adetail view, enlarged, showing the coupling for the sections of the pump-rod. Fig. 8 is adetail view of the gear-teeth on the vane-bar.

Arepresents the tower, comprising four converging inclined posts, B. On the upper end of the said posts is placed a cap or turntable, O, which is provided with depending cornerbrackets D, that bear against the outer sides of the posts. Bolts E pass through the said brackets and transversely through the posts, so as to secure the cap or turn-table thereto. The upper side of tlie turn-table is provided at its center with an opening, F, having apro- H represents the main casting of the windmill, having a horizontal arm, I. In the inner end of this casting is made a vertical cylindrical opening, through which extends a hollow sleeve or tube, K. The exterior dia1neter of this sleeve or tube is equal to the interior diameter of the vertical opening in the casting H, and the said tube is rigidly secured in the said opening, the lower end of the tube depending from the lower side of the casting for a considerable distance. This tube passes down through the central opening in the cap or. turntable, thereby pivoting the casting H thereon, and the lower portion of the tube is guided bya central block, L, which has radial bolt-rods M, that extend outwardly beyond the sides of the tower and are secured in braceblocks N by means of nuts 0. A collar, P, is clamped to the lower end of the tube K below the block L, to prevent the said tube from rising.

i R represents the main shaft, which is journaled in a horizontal bearing-box formed on 'he upper side of the arm I' of the main casting. Tothe inner end of this shaft is attached a crank-wheel, S, and to the outer endthereof is rigidly secured the spider T of the windwheel. This spider is provided with the usual radial arms grooved on their front sides to receive the inner ends of the radial arms U. To the front sides of the said arms are secured obliquely arranged radial fans V. At the outer end of each arm U, on the front side thereof, is bolted a cap-plate,V, which is provided with a rearwardly-extending flange, W. This flange projects rearwardly beyond the front side of the arm, and to it is bolted the bracketplate X, having an opening adapted for the insertion of a radial rod,Y, which is arranged on the inner side of each arm U. The inner portions of the said rod Y work. through bearingplates Z, that are bolted to the rear sides of the arms U. To the outer end of each rod Y is rigidly secured a weight-ball, A.

B represents a series of inclined radial brace-rods, which have their upper ends connected to the plate X 011 the outer ends ofthe arms U, and the inner ends ofthesaid brace-rods are connected to an annular cap or collar, 0, secured to the front end of the shaft R.

D represents a circular collar, which fits over the front end of the box in which the shaft It is journaled, and the said collar is pro vided with an annular groove, E. From the rear side of the collar, at the upper side thereof, projects a horizontal arm or rod, F, which is guided in vertical brackets G, that project from the upper side of the bearingbox. The collar 1) bears normally against the rear side of the hub of the wind-wheel.

H represents an annular strap, which fits in the groove E of the collar and is adapted to rotate thereon. The said strap is provided on opposite sides with outwardly-projecting ears 1, between which are pivoted the inner ends of links K. On the rear sides of two oppositely-extending arms of the spider are secured bearing-blocks L, in which are fulcrurned bell-crank levers N. The inner arms IOO of the said bell-crank levers are connected to the links K, and the outer ends of the bellcrank levers are connected to the inner ends of the weight-rods Y by means of links M.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that when the wind-wheel rotates at a high rate of speed the weight-rods Y will be moved outward by the centrifugal force, and thereby cause the bell-crank levers to partly turn on their pivotal bolts, so as to move the collar D rearward and thereby movethe arm F in the same direction.

0 represents a frame or casting comprising the vertical portion 1?, having the horizontal annular collar R at its upper end, the horizontal arm S at its lower end, and the rearward-projecting socket T. In the collar R and in the arm S are made vertical aligned openings adapted to receive the upper end of the hollow sleeve or'tube K, and thereby pivot the frame or casting O on the upper portion of the said tube, so that the said frame or casting is free to rotate thereon independently of the said tube and of the main casting. On one side of the collar R are a series of gearteeth, U, and the arm S projects forwardly a sufficient distance to cause it to bear against one side of the main casting H when the socket T is in line with the shaft R.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the extreme upper end of the tube or sleeve K projects somewhat above the upper side of the collar R.

V represents a vertical frame or casting,the lower end of which is provided with a circular cap, W, that fits on the upper projecting end of the tube K, and is secured thereto by a set-- screw or bolt.

X represents a pulley, which isjournaled to one side of the frame.

Y represents the upper section of the pumprod. The said upper section is guided vertically in openings in the circular cap W and in the collar or disk P. From one side of the said upper section, at the upper end thereof, projects a stud or bolt, Z, to which is pivoted the upper end of a pitman, A The lower end of the said pitman is pivoted to the crankwheel S by a stud or pin, B".

0 represents a lever-arm, which has its upper end pivoted to one side of the cap V at the upper end of the tube K. This lever-arm has a segment spur-wheel, D, that meshes with the rack-teeth U of the frame or casting O, and the said lever-arm is also provided with an adjustable weight, E, and with an arm, F. To the latter is attached a chain, G The said chain passes over the pulley X, and extends down into the frame V and is hooked to the upper end of an operating-rod, H.

The said rod extends downward through the tube K, parallel with the upper section of the pump-rod, and through an opening in the disk or collar P.

I represents the lower section of the pumprod, and K represents a coupling to connect the sections of the pump-rod together.

, The construction of the coupling is as follows: A casting, L, is bolted to the lower end of the upper section, and has a laterally-projecting arm, M, provided with the depending hollow tubular sleeve N 0 represents a casting, which is bolted to the upper end of thelower pump-rod section, and has at its upper end alaterally-projecting arm, 1?", provided with an opening through which the sleeve N extends, and on which the said sleeve is adapted to turn. The lower end of the sleeve is swaged, to prevent the parts of the coupling from becoming detached. The lower end of the operating-rod extends through and is guided in the sleeve N and is attached to a cord, R that extends to the ground.

S represents a connecting-rod, which has its front end pivoted to the rod F and its rear end pivoted to the weighted lever-arm D.

When the increased speed of the wind-wheel in a strong wind causes the governor-balls to move the collar D and rod or arm F rearward, as before described, the connecting-rod S is turned on its pivot, and thereby causes the segment-wheel to partly rotate the frame 0, which causes the vane to turn the windwheel obliquely to the wind, and thereby diminishes the area of the wheel exposed to the wind, and consequently reduces its speed. If it be desired to stop the wind-wheel, this may be accomplished by drawing down upon the cord R sufficiently to turn the vane to a position parallel with the wind-wheel.

Having thus described my invention, I claimi 1. In a windmill, the combination of the wind-wheel, the turn-table on which the wheel is mounted, the vane to direct the wind-wheel, the lever geared to the vane to turn the same, and the radially-movable governor-balls attached to the wind-wheel and connected to the lever, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. In a windmill, the combination of the turn-table having the horizontal arm, the shaft journaled in the said arm, the wind-wheel'attached to the said shaft, the sliding collar on the horizontal arm and having the endwisemovable arm or rod F, guided in brackets G, the strap arranged on the collar, the radiallymovable governor-balls attached to the windwheel, the bell-crank levers connecting the said governor-balls to the strap, the vane to direct the wind -wheel, the weighted lever geared to the vane, for the purpose set forth, and means, substantially as described, connecting the said lever to the arm of sliding collar, substantially asde'scribed.

3. In a windmill, the combination of the tower or support,'the vertical tube K, journaled therein, the casting secured to the said tube and having the horizontal arm, the main shaft journaled in the said arm, the windwheel attached to the outer end of the shaft, the radially-movable governor-balls attached to the wheels, the crank-wheel attached to the inner end of the shaft, the frame 0, pivoted on the tube K and having the arm S to engage the casting, the frame V having caps \V, fitting on the upper end of the tube, the pulley journalcd therein, the Weighted lever pivoted to the cap NV and geared to the frame 0, and the chain or cord attached to the weighted lever, passed over the pulley and extending down through the tube, the said lever being further connected, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

4. In a windmill, the combination of the wind-wheel, turn-table on which the wheel is mounted, the vane to direct the wheel, the

JAMES XVRIGHT VANMETER. Witnesses:

T. H. OOALLAGHAN, O. C. Cox. 

